Seduction of Souls (22 page)

“What about tonight, did you see him again?” 
RayeAnn sat back in her chair, more relaxed now that she understood better.

“No.  Tonight was the first time your Aunt Juliet visited me.  She’s very sweet
, by the way.  Anyway, she was sitting on the rocking chair on the front porch of this house with RayeAnn next to her in a second rocking chair.  It started out as a beautiful sunny day, but then she told me to look at the horizon.  When I did I saw the storm clouds.   I have never seen such dark, ominous clouds in my life.  They were churning like a tornado in the sky while lightening shot out the sides, and it was moving quickly toward RayeAnn and Lillyanna.  Then Aunt Juliet started yelling, “Help them.  Hurry.  They’re in danger, Ryker!”   He shook visibly while telling the story until RayeAnn put her arms around him and held on tightly.  Agitated, Ryker pushed his hand through his hair roughly, taking a moment to stroke her arm and give it a quick kiss.

“She just kept yelling at me to save you.  I woke up when the phone rang.  God, Rat , you can’t imagine how scared I was when I heard your voice on the line.  I was sure something terrible had happened.”  He covered his face with his hands for a moment while
RayeAnn rubbed his back.

“So what do we make of all this?  Where do we go from here?  Have any of you ever heard of a spirit returning once
it had been exorcised?” Tim was up and pacing now, looking at the floor as if the answers were written there.

“I think I need to contact my friend, Sean.  He’s the guy I went around Europe with.  I’m pretty sure he might have some advice for us, if not an outright solution.”

“What about contacting Everett Daniels again?  As a psychic medium, he may be able to tell us why Gideon came back,” Bryn added.

“Good idea, Bryn.  Worst case scenario
, he could cleanse the house again.  Maybe that would at least keep Lilly safe.”

“Ryker, what are we going to do to keep her safe until then?  I’m scared he’ll hurt her if she stays here.  Can spirits move from place to place?  Is there anywhere she’
ll be safe?”

“I’ll talk to Sean about it.  He’s got more experience with this than anyone I know.  I’d feel so much better if I could just stay here with both of you.”

“Maybe it would be better if Lilly and I went to a hotel until we figure this out.  If you stayed here, Ryker, you’d be in violation of the court order and she could be taken away from both of us.  We’ve never spent the night apart, Lilly and I, and I’m certainly not willing to start now that she’s in danger.”

“I have another thought, but it’s drastic.  I’m not sure you’d go for it,” Tim finally said, watching each person’s face for a reaction.

“What?  Tell us, Tim.  We’re willing to listen to anything.”  He watched Ryker and
RayeAnn while they held hands and stroked each other gently, knowing what he was about to say would rock their world.

“You could get married.”  He waited for the protests to start
, but none came.  All they did was stare at each other and blink wildly as they digested the idea.

“If you two got married
, Ryker would be able to legally stay here permanently.  Plus, it would solve the messy visitation trap all of you are caught in.”

Suddenly RayeAnn couldn’t maintain eye contact with him.  The only flaw with the plan was that Ryker didn’t love her.  Would his love for Lilly be enough to keep him here? 
No,
came the answer.  She took marriage very seriously.  If she promised herself to him she would have to spend the rest of her life in a loveless, sexless marriage, because she didn’t believe in divorce.  Vows were sacred and not to be taken lightly, way too important to do for convenience sake.  They would just have to come up with a different plan.

“Well
, I think we need to come up with a different plan.  I don’t believe in divorce and, well, it’s not like it would be for love or anything.  Kids are smart.  Lilly would figure it out, and then what would we do?  For Ryker, it’s a solution to the visitation problem, but that will eventually work itself out.”

“Are you trying to tell me nicely that you don’t love me?”

“No, not at all.  I…well…”

“Then what are you saying here,
RayeAnn?”

She was uncomfortable with the whole situation and getting angry as well.  This was something she didn’t want to say out loud
, but since he decided to pin her to the wall she was going to let him have it with both barrels.

“I’m saying that you don’t love me. 
You would never stick around long enough to give our marriage, any marriage for that matter, a real chance.  You’re a coward when it comes to relationships.  Just when things start going well you fabricate some excuse to leave.  I don’t need that and neither does Lilly.”

“You think you know me pretty well, don’t you?  Well you’re wrong on all counts there
, missy.  It’s you who can’t adjust her thinking or accept love when it’s offered.  Admit it, you like having total control over Lilly and her living situation!”

“If I felt that way I would never have let you move in in the first place.  I wanted Lilly and you to get to know each other.  D
o you need to see all the letters I sent you over the year that you returned unopened?  I didn’t do that, you did.”

“Why didn’t you come and look for me then if you were so desperate to talk to me?”

“I couldn’t travel and you know it.”

“How would I know that?  What kind of bullshit are you handing me now,
RayeAnn?”

“I was confined to my bed for my entire pregnancy.  Without Bryn and Tim to help out I would have starved or at the least lost the baby.  By the way, thanks for all the support during that trying time.”

He stood with his mouth hanging open while she ranted on about her pregnancy.  He never suspected that the pregnancy hadn’t been anything but normal.
His heart constricted in his chest at the thought of a world without Lillyanna in it.  When he looked up all three of them were staring at him. 

“You…you almost lost her?  I’m sorry, I had no idea…”

“No, I’m sorry.  I said way too much and noting good can come from dredging up the past.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Why?  What would it have changed?  We’re both still alive, and Lilly is beautiful and healthy.  That’s really all that matters in the end.”

“You know, RayeAnn, you’re wrong about me not loving you.  The year I was gone was the most miserable, empty time in my life.  I missed you every second of every day…and, yes, it scared the hell out of me.  I have so many regrets about how things ended between us.  I admit it was all my fault.  I see that now.  I love you and Lilly with every fiber of my being.”

She brushed the tears streaming from her eyes away with her fingers, accidently flicking them onto Tim.  Her gaze was riveted on Ryker
, as if trying to look into his soul.  She was afraid to believe him, afraid if she did believe him she would never be the same again.  Would that be a bad thing? 

She forced her gaze away from him and put her face in her hands.  Think!  What the hell are you going to do now?  The answer came to her as if spoken out loud
, not even in her own voice.

“Love him, RayeAnn.  Trust in that love.  It will be
your salvation.”

Her head snapped up as if someone had grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled it up violently.  The tense muscles in her neck made a cracking, rebellious sound.  She
looked around the room, trying to figure out who had spoken.  Ryker stood in front of her and Bryn and Tim had apparently slipped out of the room to give them some privacy.  Was it possible that voice had been that of her Aunt Juliet?  Right now anything was possible.

“I love you
, too, Ryker, and that scares the daylights out of me.”

F
alling to one knee in the middle of the kitchen, he grabbed both her hands into his, kissing each palm gently before allowing his eyes to meet hers.

“Please marry me.  If you do
, I promise you’ll never regret it.  I’ll spend the rest of my life proving my love for you and Lillyanna.”

“I’m going to hold you to that whole lifetime business, you know.”

“Good.  So is your answer a yes?”

“Yes.  Yes, I’ll marry you, Ryker.”

As he rose, his hoot of victory was so loud it probably woke up the whole county, not to mention Lilly.  In a flash, she was in his arms and being whirled off her feet and around the kitchen by her exuberant fiancée.  Her arms wrapped around his neck while kisses were plastered roughly all over her face as they twirled around the room.  Tim clapped loudly while Bryn held Lilly in her arms and danced a happy dance with the baby.  The glorious sounds of baby giggling filled the room.  For this treasured moment everyone was happy and healthy.

CHAPTER 24

The wedding took place at the courthouse, performed by the same justice who had presided over their family court case.  The honorable William J. Hudson had actually volunteered for the job, once they had an emergency hearing and all the facts, minus the ominous spirit information, were presented to him.  Apparently he had a proclivity for true love.

Ryker scanned the room to make sure everyone they cared about was present.
  Bryn and Tim served as maid of honor and best man.  His mother held Lillyanna through the ceremony, swaying gently with the baby in her arms.  When he laid eyes on his beautiful bride his heart swelled with love.  The rest of the world slipped away, as if she had suddenly become his only reality.  Only when Judge Hudson cleared his throat loudly did his attention to the rest of the world snap back to the ceremony.  During the short ceremony he’d noticed as a tear or two escaped his mother’s eyes.  After the ceremony his mother took pictures of the entire wedding party, including Lilly, who was held in her father’s arms.  Afterwards they all headed back to the house for a catered lunch and more pictures.

Lillyanna wore more of the wedding cake than she managed to get in her mouth
.  Another round of pictures captured the joy in the newlyweds’ faces.  His heart felt whole for the first time in over a year, and it felt damn good.  He watched as RayeAnn glowed, just as he’d always thought a bride should, while she chatted with their guests.  The thought of their bright future as a family made his heart swell with pride.  Finally she was his.

After much debate and discussion
, it was decided that Lilly would spend the night with Bryn, Tim, and Darcy at Darcy’s house.  Bryn and Tim were going to help in case Lilly felt fearful in a strange house.

Saying goodbye to her little girl was hard on RayeAnn.  They had never been apart…ever.  Her heart squeezed at the thought of giving over her daughter, yet she couldn’t deny the excitement that had been building at the thought of being alone with Ryker. It had been well over a year since they’d had sex, and she wondered if it would feel different now that they were married. 
Geez, she was acting like a nervous virgin
.  One glance at Ryker reassured her, the love she felt surged to the forefront and dismissed her doubts. 

RayeAnn
assured Darcy that they would be there first thing in the morning to pick Lilly up.  After several kisses and hugs, to the point that the baby began to protest, she was gone.  They had the house to themselves.   Arm in arm they made their way upstairs to the bedroom.

When Ryker reached in front of her and opened the door of the bedroom, the sight took her breath away.  Candles, already lit, covered the surface of every dresser and table in the room, giving it a warm, welcoming glow.  Multi-colored rose pedals were strewn about the room, giving off a delicate scent enhanced by the candles.    A bottle of champagne sat chilling in the ice bucket and there was a tray of finger foods on a folding table next to the bucket.  It was perfect.  Romantic.  She felt the tension release from her muscles as he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her gently in the middle.  Watching as he licked his lips, the look of hunger and want in his eyes made her tremble with excitement.  God, she loved this man.

Very slowly he began to undress her.  Starting with her shoes he gently slipped them off her feet. 
When he looked at her pink toenails, he grinned and so did she.  He began to massage her feet, working each one until they were limp puddles of relaxation.  Slipping his hands up her leg and under her skirt, he began to roll down the thigh high stockings, sensuously massaging her leg as he worked slowly down to her toes.  First one leg, then the other.  Taking his time, he alternated caressing with his hands and his lips, leaving a trail of burning excitement in his wake. 
What a delightful
torture.
 

She found herself shivering and twitching, moaning with each new sensation as he kissed his way up her leg.  Pushing her full skirt gradually up until it was bunched around her waist
, he pulled her thong aside after spreading her thighs wide open.  Hunger shone in his eyes as he proceeded to devour her mercilessly.  She grabbed desperately at the brass railing of the headboard, beside herself with excitement.  Gasping and gyrating her hips against his tongue and teeth, she desperately sought the release she craved.  Climbing higher and higher, she hovered on the precipice of ecstasy.  When it finally came, the orgasm imploded her world as lights flashed behind her closed eyes.  To her amazement the love she felt for Ryker grew stronger, her heart wanting to burst from her chest with the joy she felt. Never had she felt so complete, so whole.